Watch our exclusive footage from the panel discussion at the Hong Kong International Film Festival on how the Kowloon Walled City was re-imagined and re-presented for popular consumption.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... so ... I'm ... Sam ... you're recognizing probably everyone ... who has been in the balance of blacks and Santa is a film history and here in Hong Kong ... aam next to Sam has lived a she is the life and style editor for for The Wall Street Journal I ... and next to her is that was down to is that many of you from Hong Kong than is the CEO ... and GOOG ... and hadn't next to him as he and a lamb bought two is a photographer and publisher of city of darkness ... which is a book ... on the cover is the Kellen walled city and he is really seeing that a new addition ... to commemorate the twentieth anniversary ... I'll which will be available soon wear ... in June ... the case at ... what I like to have that doing this project so much as I feel like we've taken at peace of the past and we're bringing it into the future ... I remember as a small child being aware of the Kellen walled city especially when you flew into Kai tak ... airport ... aam but not really understanding or what was inside said to me ... this documentary at least so much that way is within those walls ... but I wanted to start this discussion out by talking ... about why we are so fascinated by this I mean this is something ... that weighs you ... reduce many years ago it's now been two decades ... but there's still a fascination with this place and ... I was start with the Sam being the history and ... why do you think was so fascinated ... me ... the ... wall ... the ... Hmong ... all all ... UT ... he is ... on ... and that that that ... it is ... a long and peaceful up ... inside ... slate ... of new long haul up to be ... situated ... there ... this is ... ascent of Mount beauty ... I was ... there ... this ... he says ... so it's ... it's on you and I was wrong on all of them ... it is something to run away ... and why a TT then you this strength came from ... actually before we get panicky deeply stand at this is Janet and ... she directed and produced the entire thing ... at a certain area and out of work that went into it and and Diane has spent endless weeks in the office with no weekends off so ... I ... think you can ... um ... let you know you have decided that this would be a great project for for The Wall Street Journal to embark on so what fascinated you you grew up in Hong Kong a smile ... something similar to what ... to what sounds said about ... Hong Kong ... that being distilled in the walled city and the Hong Kong has a place as he said I grew up here ... where there's so many stories and it was reminds me of ... like what it is an Chinese ... capital ... and ... and also in a day these beautiful intricate carvings because and other in the air inside and another in the air and Sy and I think ... the Howard walled city really epitomizes this and you can keep a list of core of what's inside may be the most ... that concentrated not get out of life here ... and you know when we're looking at ... at the stories are starting to unpack the heater issue you a night ... out with steam in twenty years since the yet the new old city was ... completely demolished maybe now's the time to do a story ... we read that Ed ... Sullivan history or are thinking maybe we'll do a timeline and the more we looked at the more we are able to unravel ... and we thought well why don't we use ... some of what we can do it the Wall Street Journal ... Sue to tell the story so ... im ... so she clarified that this document re is just a small part of what we ... be looking at what we've been doing ... for actually looking at presenting this business material were still ... working on and headed finalizing finalizing an ABBA will be presenting it as fat as an online interactive ... so we're going to be looking at some of the characters that people you meet some of the people you've already met ... us through this document re drinking Unlike and scientists going ... deeper into into some aspects of the crying some aspects as ... in daily life ... our into deeper into the history and in their semi things UConn ... unraveling a ... fifteen minute documentary for example you know where is the wool like ... what ... what happened to it if it's ... in a demolished Indiana in the second World War and was used to build ... I'd type airplay ... on it and were also the King of pop culture more theft and is spending more time with family ... and that were also included ... at its legacy today ... that we're actually recreating the old capital city has as much as we can get ... a set list you can wrap your to do you agree with some of these things and you ... now created that we you and I were talking about you know the Kellen walled city and the importance of the living I'm so ... what what is it mean to you ... aam ... well ... I think I mean is ... that in addition to what is ... I think we can all this a lot of ... I'm crazy people go home and that in the sense that the war succeed as an ... as in ... this are open only ... within ... a historical can only ... the bigger one being called Cong ... and the ... Baltic Sea being ... the smaller one but it's ... not that it's ... this is fascinating as an SF awful ... creativity I think it's it's so appropriate for Hong Kong ... I think what's ... very frightening is what could happen to it because something ... the pace of such importance could be from the Iraqi future could be ... the Messiah skies ... you could Hong Kong be ... a sign that some sectors of the if everybody does decide to to ... make Hong Kong ... as Western as most boys mode and then as possible ... and ... and the result would be something so ... for now as the pockets ... of the moment ... every old ... about history ... heres a mean ... I'm ... I think that with a ... the danger that is a danger that we are facing an all home ... I thing as Hong Kong become more more westernized Maldives ... there is ... there is the danger of that that the local identity could also go away with with all this cleaning is no ... way did I am a sale that Hong Kong has a hand in shame and seeing that I mean we know that immediately after the handover of one of the first things that change for the color of the post box or a because they were that bad Colonial ... that Miller and and they painted them over straight away on the main thing they waited a day ... so I mean ... work it's a city that's quite famous as as Ian was saying ... I ... but ... in what I wanna talk to you about is the architecture was your changes an architect in you and I had a conversation and actually as we unveil more and more ... she was relieved inside ... it reminded me yet from my days of being a reporter here ... that's our lives working for local station at two public housing estates that when a I am ... The when there was an enormous amount of traffic coming from China ... and the British government's ... built housing estates ... very quickly and the insides of this housing estate is states are not too dissimilar to what we saw up in these phones ... the the ... I'm sorry maybe ... the apartments with very similar to what you and your ears eyes yet ... I mean obviously toenails than the sum of moving so Raytheon is ... none of the stairways was nothing I ... could ... because ... um much much more credit much ... write to ... much to ETF ... of weight ... always ... um ... and no harvest grapes ... mean it when it was a ... desperate ... from so many locals ... I will present ... um ... the well was the full tuning note that very night you want but ... when rates to think it's some major tightening told The ... the activate with cooking in ... oil ... oh ... you have making preschools and I mean it was old bed with the Tugun of the time ... to sign up to such ... it's ... it's much more eighteen eighties as a pizza scores decisive and that's what it was ... pretty became open which is the really un usual thing it went off ... and it was built fairly sophisticated to the coming of the good news into Jackson's ... of its attended the you can find ... a new era ... of entered a new unit ... most spouses estimates that up to back to stores make the story what you can build yourself ... with the Bible which to fight ten ... pm ... developers moved in in in Dallas it was the ... you think of my money move in and that was the deboned poet ... so the rate they did ... don't compete sucks is very basic companies such as ... no ... sanctions nobody knew what was holding them up ... um it's become a huge open when they started to devour says ... um ... so in a body ... study ... response assessment ... that Nestle reading I mean everything was known was the ... incredible Matisse ... it was packed with people ... or closed in deep stairways in many ways he was busy ... and throw away ... from it that that was one of the peculiar things about ... the places you know all the time I spend ... you actually believe any bump into people ... especially often dynamics ... um ... you know it is quite a surprise when you date um ... it effects our behind ... the deal would you knew that was nice to explore the activity going on people was of a living ... from ... making things ... I imagine there were a lot of foreigners walking around I when you first entered the van yes ... so what what what was the reaction when you first ventured in what was the thing that struck struck you the most to you know knowing that this ... existed and when you walked in the first time ... I tried it isn't something I know it ... so ... two of the Chinese currency is it mean ... when I told them I was staring at the front of the great sales going on is met them and you know ... still this old back to bed and Yukon get there its units to induce you to know you you you you would never see you again ... we can do in ... times of the report assignment ... so in ... the real surprise when I went there ... Sunday night said nine had gone there earlier when it was a ... little bit ... it wasn't all interested people ... the way of EOPN a new war aware of that ... um so you didn't subside to ... a sunny austerity said no to the tune to finance its IPTV kind ... E-mail us very good thing ... that it was just a normal price it is just another part of Hong Kong that will or can be president is getting on with analysts ... um ... and you accepted ... reason in fact mean that that was extort anything that we have actually ... had very easy access to the one with the way we went ... um ... you know you would will team with the camera ... I tend to write Chinese so in your ... mind ... I take pictures ... most people so you crazy but it's so to say yes ... we might imagine if we went back to keep weekdays ... it's been so that so and we became heartworm and Greg and I ... aam has these ... so the match it ... boy does so with ... the present ... Peltz declined ... I had a dentist ... I think well it somewhat Auntie levels rising when we first went ... when I went in the exits ... you identified and much more was a place for that ... nine ... I seriously would I would say you an undercover policeman some so ... so but didn't want anything to do ... um all I was part of the government's efforts ... to was something like that ... um ... but it only when ... I think that that that that shifted to maneuver ... cos ... I mean when we got in quite a neat trick indictment reads I started to drop to ninety seven ... almost immediately think that ... but ... you know of ITT knowing knowing ... if the trend towards ... tightening of the Japanese tourist buses opening up ... home ... and pointed to in a ... twist in this book and all my friends wanted to something be done ... some unit ... sorry D same sentiment I think one of the fascinating things that when the Wall Street Journal we did this documentary is meeting the characters inside consider such a diverse population with in you know one group of buildings said ... why tell us and with this interactive you said that we're going to be able to meet more people but ... Kristin's of the most in your mind that mean you know ... research and Coptic but if you like what what stories stands up the mess ... in addition to some of the people who read ... are we do like all you children I know I know your favorites they're all fantastic ... aam ... that sure what to think of when the Japanese ... tourists because that's one thing that was really ... fascinating to last ... up was actually going ... it we we interviewed ... people who ... an a in the early nineteen nineties and as it was being demolished ... he was actually a team of architects and and they called themselves the Palin will City explore areas and ... yet ... yesterday to yet that's where the touring comes from ... and that they've just wanted to document it says is this kind of outside ... fascination ... as it ... you know with with this place as ... Hong Kong was that that ... that that that they can actually was and the Salinger they came on as it was it's likely it is light as as I was being demolished to in N out it's going now were interested so I thought that was an interesting ... the Japanese soy coming ... into because it's so important and some key ... normally I'd be ... in you you hafta can fall ... the reason ... is ... that the flip side is that these brave enough to see Minas right lane of ... in a ... unit Japanese sex videos of the way it ... um ... it's over ... the song tell ... he and the ... date of the proceeds of the Rings of the will to do great things like the idea that the ... I'm not sure about the ... perfect spot but ... doesn't the identities of very good at seeking out the best in this low ... number but like the way they've documented that the wall paints ... all the great war you know that these fantastic ... I still can entries ... that ... the that that that the D tells all these ... stuff most obscure subjects ... and they've identified the war thirty as ... I think actually for me the walls it is ... this is Tom Hyland says switches so the the the the the ... it's about a guy thing you're you're originated from manuscripts but it's about something that is faded ... and that is written upon on top of ... that live in it so that you have what the result is something the exhibits ... the ... civilized nations of every generation you know the the the the the the layers of every generation and the outbound breaks ... European architecture in the history ... of hostels and ... cathedrals and you can see where each ... style a at which the time of the Gmina ... and I think the bull since he was the grandest thing the whole ... middle to upper having a power insist ... which is why I think this is something that is such a crying shame that was demolished ... in such a short time because the history can trace back to the song dynasty of a hundred years ago ... and it was eradicated in ... the mid matter of months ... if I that I think it is helpful because that's what makes the film ... up about the walled city so interesting um ... um the kids that they are in fact I was on the lid ... on documents ... of ... all of the city of that for sample crime story the techies can feel ... that you still location ... of fall ... as a stand in full on call ... he was a mention as a close up the wall city that is that he was in the film ... on it it was Hong Kong this is Ben the info Hong Kong ... it was used to roll up of full for explosions seen ... in a way so ... it ... that Collins CD in the film became a place where you go to do things that you cannot do ... in Hong Kong ... which is a place where ... you go to do things which you can do ... did you cannot do in China a and and in England ... do you think the ways I mean it's been depicted in and in numerous towns on is the way it's portrayed in Western films any different than in the sand sounds very very different I think also of course but what we saw a little bit of that very sunny ... and goes very sleeves of famous ... lead runner and of Batman ... opts to very exotic ... I think is is also very interesting to ... up because aam Batman type of Batman's inspiration kind of ... call up came through play we run ... which is to use the wall city has total the Apple couldn't take ... the future ... of us is simple up which is is a civilization developed reception expand ... on ... that ... now it's it's easy and and civilization ... but I think ... the whole calls it takes a quite different ... um so example the film ... of brothers from the walled city ... we just the title up from this from the wall city is a place where ... Hong Kong people try to run away from ... up a very interesting that on in the home ... is in the film ... although the brothers had ran away from ... the phone will see the ... piano being haunted by the pass ... aam for example it while I'm ... I'm not going to go into details of both the film ... but the guy actually die from drug and sex performance on the stage ... which is something which does something that he witnessed SEK ... inside the wall city ... so ... the past he says cannot won away from the past so in a way to the wall city all the time he was in the system is on call ... was a reminder of past we cannot run away from ... in ... mm did you get to meet all walks of life when undemanding we you with the prostitutes and that drug dealers as well as the shopkeepers ... um well ... in eighteen ninety seven most of the drug didn't have gone ... home video so it is moved into the everything ... from a mine of that ... but this was a lawless land I thought said the authority ... that won the best thing the interesting thing Some of researching the book that um I pity that I mean when I was doing well initially I thought it was ... um ... identity the love of the tribes in the sense ... and in fact it was in the fifties ... in the fifties it it did everything happened ... um ... Michael please people so that the timing that I could have many ... folks who were that many don't think restaurants that many of the invents ... no one saw me ... the bidding to ... donate ... the place practically to me that ... it would be intended corruption within the police force are the six to some of the victim of that ... because they could make ... it writes good all right anyway ... um ... at that time ... I might to my kimono more money ... in yum art science and so it may pay to put it in the walled city ... the walled city was always grateful ... um ... so it was low level ... um ... it was all St day um you know if it wasn't something ... rival banks ... of a Detroit didn't offer right that the firm in equipment basis we did this ... capital markets ... um where you went to pick up ... a picked up again ... in this ... is how to sending oil to the ICAC crackdown on corruption ... suddenly becoming one of the places where you went to get there ... but it was one of ... a number of places you know you you went to my bunk all Cuban to demonstrate he went to see how ... on the unfair ... um ... so ... yet of the walled city to suburbs ... was one ... of the flights ... um ... when ... so ... I'm going to be ... the meetings started in the fifties about what happened ... and I ... ate too late to the integrity of it is submitted on ... for a long way from ... where it was interesting ... so yes but ... reset day ... my ... assistant and me ... um ... kind of a different story she she actually ... has spoken to one of the old rate it's ... been benign and it turned out that she was one of the post chips ... I cheated because ... Jos ... um ... but very similar to what ... if a team at the ... unit she does have a few old friends with government ... um you know this would be an ... old guy likes it so kind to see him again ... minute it will use it nor ... Opsumit activity to nosedive ... Douglas it's ... called advice on as the cancer at Kelly and um ... how would you do you feel that Hong Kong ... today looks at it as something that's shameful and its history ... at the low youngsters to realize that such patience is the ... time ... which is why I mean is that ... somebody that sort of ... caught Twilight zone ... well John is still around ... I I'm I'm quite keen to to ... to let the nation continue ... very good thing that ... could ... have become a bit of its destruction is ... the fact that it could survive as a legit because I think ... the the romance of ... the the the memory the election of two board seats he's probably ... not ... much bigger than that the reality itself ... but I think semester fall fall fall color is the face of resistance Hall moment that ... I work all kinds actually I put ... the diamond because it's too concentrated in the essence of Warhol all the vowels ... I'm ... a place that existed auto or like the food ... I think ... this is this is how I would like them every two weeks that you can be passed on ... to future generations so that ... I type I want a home that the future of Hong Kong ... that's ... where Western and international ... culture can exist side by side with something ... more on the Moto cool though ... I think it is essential that the architecture ... home home in the future ... should contain elements of the war sixty ... because I think is important ... that we've we've preserved ... well we we develop an ... awesome of all indigenous culture ... and cost onto future generations so they can exist side by side ... it's interesting the tube about ... I ... the legend editor announces the moments ... that at the place itself the kids out of older residents that we spent even though their imminent sickness L J intruding missing that can mean a teacher the nesting this this ... neighborhood to shape their lives ... most of the people we spoke to were very glad that it was ... demolished because he knew life was like was tough and there certainly ... is ... it's a ... it's a lot of them have a IIa ... the residents of Judea ... to the demolition ... when the dot to housing estates and it's ... they say oh well I just you know very different well it's so hard to even have a cup of tea with the neighbors was so far away before being dispensed ... and yet ... actually Albert's here and when you see we ... Louis and who we met in the document chain ... I can speak what this means very happy yet she said he's the one that you wanna say something about that I'll ... be ... I think I think I want one of the most of the lawlessness saw Sino sauce with ... meat is actually up a quarter in a ninety three eleven to ... a hawk among the get go into detail but I think ... this as a historian I think ... ultimately is a testament to humans ability to establish a ll ... make it may not be long ... there will always feel ... I mean um um um ... and I think of all I also wanted to try to carry on also what we talked about ... the intense calls ... of the changes to all of that will go into inside and outside of Hong Kong I'd love to make the case which he tells ... me not in the sense of the Hong Kong government hope that this is from that ... committee the one ... that I think as a historian ... of ... I'd I'd do this I'd ... I see changes something that happened organically ... and I think is reported in the films for example are going ... to peak in Hong Kong recorded ... in ... nineteen fifty four is very very different from the Hong Kong recorded ... in in a film of making ... a buck twenty fourteen ... but is still on call ... and just watch aim ... of the evolution ... of all the changes I think is very very ... fascinating and I think can be ultimately at that make me proud to be the home office and is set up like ... of ... these are just no mention about how to use in the West and old and new come together in a very of getting away with dial up up with Wall Street Journal would love that we don't come regulation ... come ... why would you ... to elaborate on that let ... me say this situation I think why me to weigh in terms of ... the Beacon ... Economics ... aam ... also in terms of culture because like the Chinese People's Opel for the past hundred fifty years has been trying to we intellectuals have been trying to rescue a sign of change fall call for example someone caught in the end up ... in the eighteen in the turn of the ... nineteenth twentieth Century sanctioned democracy and someone sanction ... of calling this ... an upbeat I know that the kind of things that they sanction ... it not worked with China ... he said something else ... or to ... any subject is something that is plucked out ... of Baidu people ... up in some kind of golf ... pass it ... for an re QED ... of ... Puerto ... an effect that can orders they ... receive to me that's a fascinating thing ... I think ... that the column wall city just a testament to that ... to me I may feel there's an extreme of impressive of resourcefulness in ... which there's no if there's no need to electricity for stealing ... additional water will will will will will grow well honey is with you know is is ... just the way human being ... and in particular Hong Kong people was able to make the life of this and I I actually agree that that that you will actually was talking ... really year of that and I'm really we should not be demolished ... I he wanted to get that way ... as it was in nineteen ninety four when it was demolished for these to me is knowing system to see ... how things have changed how policy will incorporate the changes Hong Kong and it developed into a Collins the twenty fifth of global wall city of twenty percent returns is the couple were due in one word uses budget which is evolution ... they did ... was we know in the sixties cultural ... revolution of them well but in Asia ... evolution works ... I think that the demolition of the walled city as it was time ... was ... revolution ... I mean ... but ... I think I'm not suggesting that people should still be allowed to live in that ... fight got so many ... great pieces of architecture we generation ... of transforming all buildings lack of regard market into shopping areas all ... you know ... the summit examples of how buildings can be rejuvenating ... the new injection of new use and ... that was never explored the walls a t shirt an uneasy am ... always amazed and aluminium asana I cannot tricycle relic or something to know what a casino ... in a rather old I ... so ... you know and and so they're not ... carrying everything balances ... out ... cleaning up ... that to me is he's just so such and such waste said David understands actually quilted of this good hiding out ... I think that the British government of the seventieth minute logo at the Colonial Cup ... the governance of the seventeen ... nineteen seventies was the most logs and in terms of ... destroying the Hubble Heritage the whole mall club went down in the ... post office went on all the great ... great pieces of content just ... to survive so so so many years ... and was the key as well ... while ... pulled out under the ... Brule you know the Mac to no zero ... I think it's ... you know back its such a waste ... okay well when things we've tried to do is re created to hopefully it will live on through our Wall Street Journal Interactive which is coming very Santa and we hope ... that he will take the time to look at its eye on it is as you can see you at an enormous amount of effort has gone in ... to producing this I've not only the documentary ... lots of the project that Diana and Lara have spearheaded which will be on WS J dot com in April ... so I'll ... leave ... this it though ... we have it either questions ... I see her and we would not go into who would succeed ... I'm working on staying and we had a neighbor would go into a tiny basket where has to do and wouldn't go in the two as an enabler to the new guidance ... and what happened tonight spring of eighteen and it's one of the Shinkansen he me ... and ... he's he's on you know that ... I took the industrywide EU is the time it's on you wouldn't go ... and I he added ... I was at the leading edge of going to ... taken by my own friends ... that are the ones that win ... and do the perp edition was BCC ... Annie was something I would never forget because ... when Ed ... and he didn't see ... trials and prostitutes ... I still Hawes was ... so squishy known as the band ceased to ... assume Ringo Starr's ... team candy cups saying he sees our home ... do not the space has ... I think is it something extra that the time and that's ... not to enjoy the show reaches a wider probity says something about ... it ... that's the ... sentiment ... and the end all was told there was absolutely nobody ... assigned to love story knows that I was the one to make another kind and because I don't think the word C T ... E is a unique and ... as he estimates ... on the week to the wooden harvested twisty to be in the current owner ... at the Antioch and a wall ... and there was a few days in some new in the end of an interview seated easing twenty with Hong Kong By and ... and pretend ... and as the band ... and I was BT did ... as I'm in the BBT the night I'd ... buy it there so keep those who made this summer with us on the ... and then of cause the space with the story does when ... and ... that ... the question that I have for you is that I hear that um was the musician ... he's a pick me and I would agree ... except that I've seen bread pizza was the musician ... ICT seat of the ... by detainees at ITG of what would any station he's ... an FCC is very very complex ... my secret on hydration on the mound ... and amounts to a strange reason the re acquiring a burden on Aereo no agreement unease about that that that ... that is something ... very interesting is happening to Hong Kong when she's ... inside the center of a trend of the cheese was the musicians singing the kitchen and home home well I think this could be the topic of our next ... ninety minutes for the comments ... and please do go to Des beest dot com and look at our interactive and thank you Fran much for joining us tonight we hope that you found this interesting thinking ... the the the the ... I ...